A gas turbine engine typically includes a fan section, a compressor section, a combustor section and a turbine section. Air entering the compressor section is compressed and delivered into the combustion section where it is mixed with fuel and ignited to generate a high-speed exhaust gas flow. The high-speed exhaust gas flow expands through the turbine section to drive the compressor and the fan section.
Typically, the gas turbine engine is supported under an aircraft wing on either side of the fuselage. However, such under-wing installations may not be compatible with unique aircraft configurations. Accordingly, different mounting locations for the engines such as at the rear of the fuselage are being considered. Different mountings locations present different challenges and require alternate engine configurations.
A thrust reverser is utilized once an aircraft has landed, and creates a reverse thrust force to aid in slowing the aircraft. Typical thrust reversers and nozzles are components of the engine nacelle surrounding an under-wing mounted engine. Engines mounted within an aircraft fuselage do not include the same nacelle structures and therefore conventional thrust reversing devices may not be compatible.
Accordingly, it is desirable to design and develop structures that provide thrust reversing and variable nozzle functions for fuselage mounted engine configurations.